Intra-Mitochondrial Biomineralization for New Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Biomineralization has vital roles for biological process in maintaining tissue homeostasis and cellular function by exploiting inorganic elements. Development of system for controlling biomineralization can be a new tool as potential therapeutic. In this work, we developed mitochondria-targeting biomineralization system by using trialkoxysilane-TPP. Owing to positive charge of TPP, trialkoxysilane-TPP can selectively accumulate inside cancerous mitochondria and accumulation can provide effective condition for forming silica particles via hydrolytic condensation. As that process can be catalyzed by basic condition and accumulation provides effective condition for forming silica particles, silica particles can be formed efficiently inside mitochondria matrix. Formed silica particles depolarized mitochondrial membrane and generate ROS which can be cause of mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in activation of apoptotic pathways. Thus, our subcellular specific silicification system provides a new insight into the use of intracellular biomineralization for regulating cellular funcations and targeted therapy.